Local P.E.O. chapter helps studentsWith school about to start, school supplies are in high demand, especially for families that may have trouble affording all of the necessary back-to-school items. This was one of the ideas behind the recent donation made by the local P.E.O. Chapter CC of Russellville. The P.E.O is an international women’s organization of about 250,000 members, whose primary focus is to provide educational opportunities for female students. The Chapter CC has h...

Bynum awarded ArkASPA awardAlene Bynum, assistant superintendent of personnel and instruction at Russellville School District, was awarded the 2015 Arkansas Association of School Personnel Administrators (ArkASPA) Administrator of the Year award at the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) Summer Conference. The award is presented to an administrator who shows exemplary leadership in providing outstanding educational opportunities for children in the...

by
FOR THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Schools launch panic button systemArkansas is launching a "panic button" system that will allow teachers, administrators and other school employees to alert authorities quickly if a shooter or other emergency is on campus. Lawmakers on Tuesday announced that more than 1,000 schools across the state will be equipped with the Rave Panic Button, a smartphone app that connects users quickly with 911 and allows them to select the type of emergency on campus, The Associated Press re...

Town seeks creation of K-12 agriculture academyLITTLE ROCK — Efforts by a northeast Arkansas town to keep its school district failed in 2010, but residents hope a new state law will help resurrect their school system as a K-12 agriculture academy. The creation of such agriculture schools for elementary and secondary students is authorized under a state law that was passed this legislative session, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1HBsGBx ) reported. The Weiner School District w...

Community photo: Boudra receives grantChapter AH, P.E.O., awarded a $1,000 Program for Continuing Education Grant to Arkansas Tech University student Jessica Boudra (center). Susan Jordan, committee chairman (left), and Suzanne Yelverton, committee member (right), made the presentation. Jessica will graduate in December 2015 with a master’s degree in elementary education with emphasis on special education.

UACCM announces new programMORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton announces a new Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program starting this fall. The program has been in the works for several months and has recently passed the final stages of approval by the University of Arkansas System and the Arkansas Department for Higher Education. The program is designed to prepare students in general electromechanical safety, maintenance...

Lawmakers promote schools with resolutionLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers on Monday encouraged schools around the state to plan events aimed at encouraging legislators to spend more time in classrooms next month. Rep. Charlotte Douglas and Sen. Alan Clark encouraged the districts to hold the events to mark “Take Your Legislator to School Month” in September. Lawmakers approved the designation last month as a way to encourage lawmakers to spend time meeting with students and educators...

$1 million donated to Harding for field houseA Russellville couple is donating $1 million to Harding University for renovation and expansion of Rhodes Field House. The donation from Roy and Becky Reaves covers half of the estimated $2 million construction project that is to begin in November. Roy Reaves is a 1965 graduate of Harding who spent 40 years in banking and is now a cattle rancher. The field house is used by Harding’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and the volleyball team. T...

Mother, daughter complete M.A. TESOL degrees togetherThe mother-daughter duo of Linda S. Joplin and Jennifer E. Joplin-Shure proves that a lofty goal becomes much more attainable when you pursue it with a good teammate. They both received a Master of Arts degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages from Arkansas Tech University during summer commencement ceremonies at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Saturday. “It’s been wonderful,” Linda said when asked about the experience of p...

RSD’s meet your teacher and open house scheduleElementary (Kindergarten through Fourth Grade) Dwight students can meet their teachers from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Center Valley students can meet their teachers from 2:30 –3:30 p.m. on Thursday for Kindergarten and First Graders,and from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday for Second through Fourth Grades. Center Valley will host a “Welcome Aboard Meeting” for new parents at 8 a.m. on Aug. 17 at Center Valley. Oakland Heights students can meet their te...

by
THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Community photo: Lions clubThe Dardanelle Lions Club donated backpacks to the Dardanelle Primary School for those who might need assistance. Members thank Shawn Hettinga, school counselor, for her help in this project. This is one of the things the club tries to do to help the community. With Hettinga (left) is Bonnie McGee of the Dardanelle Lions Club.

ADA 25th anniversary at Arkansas Tech: ‘Positive Words Empower’BY SAM STRASNER www.atu.edu The Arkansas Tech University community, local dignitaries and statewide leaders in disability services gathered at the Doc Bryan Student Services Center in Russellville on Wednesday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. “A quarter-century ago, the United States of America made a decision,” said Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robin E. Bowen during the ceremony on Wednesday. “We decide...

Stuff the bus arranged for this weekendOn Saturday, the Russellville Walmart parking lot will be the back-to-school headquarters for the annual Stuff the Bus event. Those wishing to help out need only look for a yellow bus. The school bus will be parked from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the store on Saturday. Distribution of collected supplies will be given to individual schools in the River Valley. “The department is proud to partner with Walmart, Junior Auxiliary and United Way to ensure...

RSD gives books to newbornsRussellville School District recently presented St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center with 1,200 copies of the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See” to be given to all babies born at the hospital. The District is providing the books as a way to encourage early literacy skills to promote school readiness. “Russellville School District is excited to provide families with their first book,” said Alene Bynum, Assistant Superintendent of Perso...

Cinema back-to-school bash slated for TuesdayMORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will show “Avengers Age of Ultron” Tuesday at the Starlight Cinema Back-to-School Bash. The free community-wide movie event will start at sundown, around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn outside the Fine Arts Auditorium at UACCM. Attendees are encouraged to dress up like their favorite superhero for this family-friendly, back-to-school bash. A concession stand will open at 8 p.m. with...

Danville school to receive state-of-the-art fitness centerOn Monday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Jake Steinfeld, Chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils, announced the three winning schools that will each receive a state-of-the-art Live Positively Fitness Center. This multi-million dollar physical fitness campaign has named SC Tucker Elementary in Danville, ML King Magnet Elementary in Little Rock and Lincoln Middle in Lincoln as Arkansas’ most outstanding schools for demonstr...

ATU leads state in STEM student recruitmentData released by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education on July 31 indicates that Arkansas Tech University is the statewide leader in attracting incoming students from Arkansas who wish to major in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The ADHE data shows that over the past five years, 1,541 first-time entering students at Arkansas Tech who were natives of Arkansas chose to major in one of the STEM fields. Th...

Russellville students prepare for schoolAugust 17 is the first day of school for grades K-12. Students who attended school in the Russellville School District last year are pre-registered. For students not registered, the following information is for those planning to attend at one of the Russellville schools. Elementary (kindergarten through fourth grade) All students attending Russellville schools in kindergarten through fourth grade who are new to the district should register as ...

U of A Law School announces dean’s listFAYETTEVILLE — The following full-time students in the School of Law at the University of Arkansas earned a 3.0 grade point average or higher during the spring, 2015 semester and were named to the Law School Dean’s list: • Mary Baker, a second-year law student from Russellville. • Paul Eddy, a second-year law student from Russellville. • Brannen Payne, a third-year law student from Russellville. • Jon Shirron, a third-year law student from Rus...